Handel Omekanneji was recently arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for ingesting 88 wraps of cocaine.
The discovery was made by officials of the National Dug Law Enforcement Agency during the inward screening of passengers on an Iberia Airline flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The NDLEA Commander at the airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, confirmed the arrest. He said, “Omekanneji tested positive for drug ingestion during the inward screening of passengers. He excreted a total of 88 wraps of substance found to be cocaine, which weighed 1.550kg. The case is under investigation and he will soon be charged to court.”
Omekanneji told CRIME DIGEST that he travelled to Brazil in 1997 in search of job opportunities. He said, “When I got to Brazil in 1997, I could not get a job so I began selling clothes to survive. Although I was doing fine in business, the profit was insufficient because I am the bread winner of my family and extended family. I am not proud of what I have done but was pushed by my situation.”
The Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, urged members of the public to partner with the agency in the campaign against drug trafficking and abuse. “We need team work to advance the fight against drug trafficking and abuse. Nigerians must consider the consequences of drug trafficking because it will ultimately lead to shame and regret,” Giade said.
Culled from Punch
